Malala Yousafzai: Loved By The World, Despised By Her Own

There is hardly anyone in this world that is not aware of the name Malala Yousafzai or the work she has done for women and women’s education especially in her native Swat Valleyin Pakistan. It was on 9th October five years ago, that tragedy struck for Malala in the shape of a bullet in her head because of her open activism for women’s education.

However, not only did she survive, but she also grew strong through her hardships. She became a symbol of empowerment for women all over the world over the years and has now become the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Malala Yousafzai is a symbol of hope for many young women like her. Through her work as an advocate for women empowerment and education, Malala has made a place in almost everyone’s heart.

However, while there are many people from around the world who support, laud and sympathize with Malala, there are some, who not only accuse her of being fake, but also despise her. For allegedly “selling out”; calling her a pawn of the West. What is even sadder is that many people who hold this belief are from her own country.

many people in Pakistan have labelled her as nothing more than a mouthpiece for the government.

While she is praised for her work and her bravery by the world, many people in Pakistan have labelled her as nothing more than a mouthpiece for the government. Some even called her entire ordeal five years ago as a staged performance devised by the government.

This belief is not only held by most of the general population of Pakistan but many government officials and lawmakers as well, who have called out Malala and the Pakistani government several times on this issue. Mussarat Ahmad Zeb is only one example.

Malala Yousafzai has been called a traitor, a sellout and much more by Pakistanis who fail to recognize the specialness about her, stating that there are many other young females who have suffered worse hardships than Malala and yet the media fails to identify them. Many question her authenticity, citing that if she cared so much about women’s education in Pakistan, why did she not come back to Pakistan in all the years after her ordeal? Many say that there are countless girls still being killed and oppressed in Pakistan while the media blindly keeps its focus on Malala and her story of survival.

Malala Yousafzai has been called a traitor, a sellout and much more by Pakistanis who fail to recognize the specialness about her.

The question many people ask is, why is Malala Yousafzai celebrated by the media? And if she is, why does the Pakistani nation despise her for it? While many people have come to the conclusion that people don’t like her because they are envious of her and her success, many say that it’s because she is extremely overrated and overhyped by the media.

Her recent acceptance into Oxford University served as another divided opinion from people. While she was lauded for this achievement, many criticized her and poked fun of her misfortunes. She became the butt of many distasteful jokes where people went so far as to say that they wish they had been shot just so they could live abroad and study at a prestigious university for free.

However, this is just a recent example of Malala Yousafzai being trolled by the Pakistani nation. She has received similar treatment in the past by Pakistani people and if we as a nation fail to change our temperament, she will continue to do so in the future. While the work Malala has done for women speaks volumes about her; our criticism of her speaks volumes about us.

Nazo Shinwari is an avid writer and a freelance journalist with a penchant for travelling. Being a Mass Communication student, she enjoys making human interest stories and mini-documentaries in her free time while also indulging in photography and painting.

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Feminism in India is an award-winning digital intersectional feminist platform to learn, educate and develop a feminist consciousness among the youth. It is required to unravel the F-word and demystify all the negativity surrounding it. FII amplifies the voices of women and marginalized communities using tools of art, media, culture, technology and community.